Container



Sept. 19, 1939. w. G. THOMPSON CONTAINER Filed June 13, 1938 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in containers for cosmetic sticks or the like andthe principal objects thereof are directed to the provision of such a container having what I call a continuous swivel to facilitate use of the stick.'

Cosmetic stick containers heretofore known all have the objections that in 1 order to operate them,it is necessary to turn a rotatable member in one direction to raise the stick and in the opposite direction to lower it. It is usual for women to merely rotate the member in one direction without thinking in which direction it must be turned to move the stick to the desired position.

The result is that often women turn the member in the wrong direction, such as continuing to turn for the elevating function even after the stick is well elevated. This causes waste of time, confusion, wearing away of the stick, and ,0 sometimes clogging and wearing of the parts.

Accordingly, I have devised novel means by which these difficulties are overcome and I accomplish this by the provision of a device which obviates the need for paying any attention to the direction of turning a rotatable member. That is, I provide a construction where the rotatable member may be turned in either direction for either the raising or lowering function.

Likewise, I provide an arrangement which may be operated naturally with equal ease by both right and left handed women. With containers heretofore known, a right-handed woman elevates the stick by turning a certain member in a natural way. When she desires to lower it, however, she finds that she must turn in the opposite direction, which is not only an unnatural but an awkward procedure.

A left-handed woman on the other hand must turn the present type of container in a direction 0 which is unnatural to her in order to raise the cosmetic stick and then in-a reverse direction in order to lower it.

The device of my invention is fool-proof in this respect, in that the stick may be either raised or lowered no matter in which direction the woman may happen or choose to turn the operating member.

It is another object of the invention to provide an improved construction which has the further advantage of operating more smoothly and readily than those now in common use. The construction is such that the parts may be readily assembled and, as will appear, the device is simple in form so as to be economical to manufacture. 1

The above and other advantageous features of the invention will hereinafter more fully appear from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a partial side elevational and sectional view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of a cap member;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1:

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view -of the carrier member of the invention;

Fig. 5 is a side elevational view partly in section of a tube member;

Fig. -6 is a small scale developed plan view of other parts of the device of the invention; and

Fig. '7 is aperspective view of the parts shown in Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawing more in detail, the invention will be more fully described.

Referring to Fig. 1, an outer sleeve is designated by 2 and this is cylindrical in shape and open at each of its ends. A central knurl or flange 4 may be provided on the upper end of the casing so as to project outwardly therefrom.

A shell member 6 is fitted within the sleeve 2 and has a part extending upwardly beyond the upper end of the same as shown. The outside shell 6 is tapered or turned slightly inwardly at 3 its upper end so as to give it a neat appearance, and to keep all of the inner parts confined -there within as will hereinafter be explained.

Referring now to Fig. 2, a cap or closure member 8 is preferably provided for fitting over the extended part of shell 6 and it may .have a knurled flange part l2 formed to conform with knurl 5. Part I! is for facilitating pulling of the closure member 8 upwardly and offl shell 6. While fitted over the shell, the lower end of the cap member 8 may abut the annularknurl 4 of the casing.

Referring now to Fig. 4, a holder or carrier member 22 which carries a cosmetic stick L is provided and this is likewise cylindrical in shape. Its upper end is open and it has a lower wall 26.

A horizontal guide pin 28 projects diametrically acrossthe stick holder 22 preferably at a point intermediate its upper and lower ends and it has an extending portion 30 at one side there- 5 of, as shown.

Referring now to Fig. 5, an inner tube or bottom shell member 40 which is cylindrical in shape is provided and it has a finger flange or enlarged base part 42 on its lower end. This is for permas-i M mitting greater ease in rotating the shell or tube 40 as will later appear.

The shell 40 is provided with a vertical slot 44 and it preferably has an annular bead 46 on its outer side adjacent its upper end for reasons to be described.

Referring now to Fig. 6, a lower cam or spiral sleeve member 50 and an upper cam or spiral sleeve member 52 are provided, preferably bethen rolled into resilient pieces of/tubing oi a diameter slightly larger than the interior diameter of the shell 6. These surround the bottom shell 40 and when the shell member 6 is disposed thereover, the cam members will be depressed to the proper size so as to be frictionally held against movement between tube 40 and shell 6 without requiring any locking mechanism, yet the parts of the device are securely retained in operative relation by reason of the method of construction and assembly.

The spiral sleeves or cam members 50 and 52 are formed as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 so as to have cam edges E and they are arranged so that said edges E are spaced apart while edges F are substantially in abutment as shown. That is when the cam members are between the bottom shell and the ouside sleeve member, the edges F are forced together while the edges E form a continuous slot 54.

In assembling the device, the stick holder 22 is inserted within the tube 40 and is freely slidable therein with the extension 30 of pin 28 extending through slot 44. The stick holder and tube are thus restricted to and guided for vertical movements and the possibility of the twisting of the stick holder relative to the bottom.

shell is eliminated.

The upper and lower spiral sleeve members 50 and 52 which, as stated, are between the shell 40 and outside shell 6, are so located that the pin 28 likewise rides in the continuous cammed slot 54. The shell 40 is rotatable relative to the cam members which, as stated,-are frictionally held against movement and the rotating may be accomplished by manual engagement of part 42.

When the shell 40 is rotated, the pin 30 is carried up one side of slot 54, taking the stick holder 22 and lipstick with it. Continued rotation will cause the pin to move to .the top of the inverted V of the slot (see Fig. 1) and still further rotation will cause it to ride down the other side of the slot, thus, of course, lowering the stick holder.

It will be appreciated that no matter in which direction the bottom shell 40 is rotated, the pin will ride up either side of the V-shaped part of slot 54 and into either side of the inverted V- shaped part and then down the other side. Thus, regardless of the direction of rotation of shell 40, the stick holder is alternately raised and lowered and raised again so that the stick reaches its desired position quickly and easily and withing punched from flat pieces of sheet metal and a out any of the objections which I have mentioned above.

As stated, there are flanges 4, i2 and 42 on the parts 2, 8, and 40 respectively. These are preferably formed to be of substantially the same outside diameter for appearance's sake as well as for the functional purposes above mentioned. Y

The annular knurl 46 on shell 40 has as its principal function the provision of a frictional engagement between the tube and the outside shell member 6. At the same time, it may serve to prevent the spiral sleeve members from sliding upwardly as the preferred arrangement is such that the upper marginal edge of the upper cam 52 abuts the bead 46.

It will be appreciated that'while the shell 40, outside shell 6 and other parts are shown circular in shape, they may be any shape desired.

While I have described the invention in great detail and with respect to the present preferred form thereof, it is not desired to be limited thereto since many changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

As a new article of manufacture, a cosmetic device comprising in combination, an outside shell member, a rotatable bottom shell member having a vertical slot therein, a stick holder slidable in said bottom shell member having a pin extending outwardly therefrom and into the vertical slot, and a pair of spiral sleeve members held between said outside shell member and said bottom shell member, said sleeve members having cam edges spaced apart to provide an endless pin receiving slot, one portion of said endless slot being V shaped and the other portion of said endless slot being in the shape of an inverted V, and said sleeve members extending spirally around said bottom shell member.

WILLIAM G. THOMPSON. 

